FISH O’... I KNOW WHERE I’D LIKE TO DRAW AT HAYFIELD!
Certain pegs seem nailed on to produce a winning weight
DESPITE the rumours, it still came as a surprise to me that Fish O’Mania is returning to Hayfield Lakes for its Silver Anniversary.
The Tight Lines team and I had some great times there, presenting the show live, and the Goforth family has always been extremely warm and welcoming.
There have been some wonderfully close finishes too, with the end result often in doubt into the final minutes.
The only downside of the Grand Final matches there was the perception that there were too many pegs from which it was impossible to win.
The first five matches were fished on Island Lake, the first champion being Kevin Rowles, the only winner pegged away from the island itself.
Steve Cooke, whose final fish is invariably featured on the opening titles, was one off the island but the other three champs – Steve Ringer, his dad Geoff and Steve Jackson – could cast into the island bay and, to be fair, the angler that drew the same peg when Cookie won couldn’t make the chuck. I think Steve Ringer said it was 82 yards.
With that in mind the match moved to Little Adam’s. The ‘pub peg’ proved hard to beat until Neil Machin showed the way in end peg 16, by the inlet pipe in the corner, in a most magnificent battle with Nathan Watson on the end peg directly opposite.
The difference was less than one average carp. Clive Wright made no mistake from Neil’s peg in the 2017 final before the event moved to Cudmore.
I hope things have altered at Hayfield, but Maver Match This winner, Rob Wootton, was in the island peg that made two Ringers and a Jackson 25 grand better off.
I have just found out that the final will be held on Island lake, and I know where I’d want to draw, just as I did at Cudmore.